


Forsaking you isn’t an option

by Maki_maki



Category: Banana Fish (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Banana Fish Secret Gift Exchange 2018, Buddy is an important character, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Were-Creatures, mentions of animal abuse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-30
Updated: 2018-12-30
Packaged: 2019-09-30 08:13:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,876
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17220227
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Maki_maki/pseuds/Maki_maki
Summary: One night, Eiji encountered a rare animal roaming in his trash can. He didn’t know what he was getting into when he tried to relate with him. Even so, Eiji didn’t regret his decision.





	Forsaking you isn’t an option

**Author's Note:**

> For [Hesperus](https://sredniavashtar.tumblr.com) as a part of the [banana fish exchange event!!](https://bananafishexchange2018.tumblr.com)
> 
> Thanks to [knoxoursavior](https://archiveofourown.org/users/knoxoursavior/pseuds/knoxoursavior)  
>  for being my beta! ilu, girl.

 Eiji startled when he heard a loud noise in his front yard at 8:00 P.M. Immediately, Buddy ran to the window and started to bark back at whatever it was out there.

Since Eiji moved to this house in Cape Cod, he’d had problems with raccoons that rummaged in his garbage during the nights. However, when he adopted Buddy, that issue was solved almost promptly.

Eiji gulped as a thought passed through his mind: what if it was a thief wandering outside his house?

"What is it, Buddy?" Eiji asked nervously.

He crawled to the window, fearing that the potential robber would see him.  He slowly tilted his head towards the garden, and what he saw almost made him faint. He didn't expect to see a big animal with golden fur roaming through the trash can for food. It was like a dog to Eiji's eyes. He wasn't certain.

Buddy was still barking at the other animal, but the other animal was completely ignoring him. Eiji sighed relief.

"It's not a burglar," Eiji whispered. "Oh, maybe it is...? Is it stealing my trash?"

Eiji stared at the animal for a few seconds. It was beautiful and it looked well cared for. He wondered if it was a dog, what kind of breed it was. It seemed like a Golden Retriever like Buddy was but its fur was lighter than his. Perhaps the dog was a female one.  He wasn’t sure; it was hard to see outside because there was a new moon that night. Even though the street lights were on, Eiji’s sight was limited.

Eiji opened the window while Buddy began to growl. The man silenced him with a glare and Buddy hastily stopped.

"Hey, are you lost, cutie?" Eiji said tenderly.

Eiji noticed that the dog flinched at his voice. It seemed like it was afraid to even look towards Eiji and began to tremble.

"I'm not going to hurt you. Are you hungry? Come here," Eiji assured it with a bright smile on his face.

He walked to the door and opened it wide to allow the dog to get inside. However, Eiji realized that the canine had disappeared.

* * *

 The next day, Eiji went to Chang Dai restaurant for lunch with Buddy.  He’d been a regular customer ever since he’d found out they’re a pet friendly restaurant. Also, Eiji liked the food and the service, especially the waiters that cover the pets’ area: Shorter and Sing.

Once he arrived, Nadia came to him. She was pregnant with her first son with Charlie.

“Table for two?” Nadia asked softly.

Buddy’s tail wagged when he saw her coming to him. He lifted one paw at her and happily barked. A slight blush spread across Nadia’s cheeks.

“Yes, please Nadia,” Eiji said as he followed her.

“I expect you want today’s specialty,” Nadia guessed.

“Of course!”

After Eiji chose his table, Buddy immediately jumped on the chair nearest to Eiji. Nadia left him after patting Buddy’s head.  

Eiji thought about the other dog he had seen last night. Well, he believed that animal was a female dog; he actually hadn’t seen it clearly though.  No matter what it had been, he had been worried for the canine because it didn’t eat anything in his trash can; she hadn’t even seemed able to tear the bag open. The dog had seemed afraid of him when she had heard his voice.

Eiji’s heart ached. Had she been abused before? Did she resent humans? He felt impotent to know that the dog was still outside, probably hungry or dealing with an illness.

“Here it goes!! Szechwan Chilli Chicken for Eiji! And for Buddy, my own creation: a fresh turkey breast and brown rice, carrots and potatoes.”

Eiji startled when he heard Shorter's and Sing's voices. He was so submerged in his own thoughts that he didn’t notice them coming. Buddy happily made _woof_ sounds as Sing put his plate front on him. Then, he started to eat.

“Thanks Shorter,” Eiji said with a low voice. He sniffed at his food and his stomach growled.

Shorter arched an eyebrow when he listened to Eiji’s words. They were pronounced softer than usual. Sing noticed that too.

“What’s wrong, Eiji?” Sing asked. “I assure you that Shorter didn’t cook this time.”

“Hey!” Shorter protested. “My food isn’t that bad! Nadia has allowed me to make organic feed for the animals!"

Eiji giggled.

“Don’t worry Shorter; it’s not the food.”

“Then, did something happen?” Sing replied, alarmed.

Eiji suppressed a gasp. Being a regular customer and seeing them almost every day had helped to establish a solid friendship between them. They just had to look him briefly and immediately, they sensed his upset mood.

“Can I speak with both of you?” Eiji asked.

Shorter and Sing looked at him, incredulous. They tilted their head to the entrance door and saw that their boss, Nadia, was busy attending to undecided customers. She would be dealing with them for a while.

Without wasting a second, Shorter and Sing sat around the same table with Eiji.

“Okay, what's up?” Shorter whispered.

“To be honest, it’s a stupid concern…” Eiji lowered his eyes. He shouldn’t get worried for a dog he had seen only once. However, Eiji couldn’t help it; that dog’s actions had affected him greatly.

“No concern is stupid if it pains you, Eiji,” Sing said kindly. “Whatever it is, we will listen to you.”

Shorter nodded vigorously.

"Yeah! And we know you don't get overdramatic for trivial matters," Shorter added.

Eiji was touched by their encouraging words. He gave them a wide smile. Buddy rested his head over Eiji's lap, already done with his food. The Japanese chuckled as he caressed Buddy’s furry head.

"You see... it's not something serious that happened to me..." Eiji gazed up at them and he saw their curious faces. "Last night, a dog was roaming my garbage...I guess it was a she... it looked like a female Golden Retriever but it was too dark..."

“How can you be sure it was a Golden Retriever?" Sing questioned him.

"I don’t know. The point is that the dog, or whatever it was, was terrified, especially when I called out to her."

"Perhaps it was a wild animal. They always are frightened by humans, right?" Sing said.

"I know but...I felt so bad for the animal..." Eiji whispered. "Maybe I'm exaggerating. I just saw her for a brief moment... but it seemed she had been lost for a long time. Also, the way she tried to scratch the bag because she was very  hungry—she was so focused on finding food that she didn't notice me at all until I spoke to her. That broke my heart."

Eiji was dumbfounded when Sing and Shorter almost burst into tears. Then he remembered they were animal lovers too.

"And she managed to find something?" Shorter said with a broken voice.

"No. She couldn't tear the bag open."

Shorter gasped.

The room was silenced. Even Buddy wasn't panting because he sensed how the atmosphere has turned tense. Eiji was feeling so anxious that he couldn't help but bite his lower lip.

"Okay! It’s settled! We will help!" Shorter screamed as he stood up and slammed his hands on the table.

Eiji jerked backwards at the abrupt hit. He could see the fire in Shorter's eyes behind his sunglasses.

"Yeah!" Sing shouted. "She’s finally going to feel what love is!"

"Just leave it to me, Eiji! I'm going to prepare a delicacy that even the fiercest animal cannot resist!" Shorter winked at him.

Eiji's heart warmed. He blushed at their excitement and smiled. Buddy waved his tail from the fuss they were making.

"Shorter!! Sing!! Go back to work!!" Nadia yelled at them through the door.

* * *

 That night, Eiji invited Shorter and Sing to come along with him to his house, in case the _dog_ would appear again. So Shorter put his so-called _masterpiece_ beside the trash can. He had driven himself to success. He had taken it as a challenge.

They had been eating Eiji's leftovers from breakfast: avocado salad and shrimp, when suddenly, Buddy rushed to the window and started once again with his irritating growls.

"What is it, Buddy?" Eiji asked. He was hoping it wasn't another raccoon out there trying to steal the food.

The three men walked towards the window hurriedly.  Howerever, Eiji gasped.

"Oh my goodness!! There's the dog!" Sing exclaimed.

Shorter hastily looked around.

"Where!?"

As Shorter locked his eyes on the canine, he found that he couldn't tear his eyes off it. It was a magnificent animal that he had never seen in his life; it was larger than Buddy and its fur was long and bushy, predominantly a pale yellow color.

"She's beautiful..." Eiji whispered.

Even though it was still dark out, they could distinguish the animal’s features better than yesterday thanks to the light of the stars that were brighter that night.

Everyone in the house, including Buddy, was speechless as they gazed at the animal sniffing Shorter's food. Unexpectedly, the canine grimaced at the meal that was made for her and moved to leave.

"What! She didn't taste it!" Shorter shouted, disappointed.

Eiji, as soon as he realized that the animal was leaving, tried to catch her attention.

"Wait!" Eiji shouted, panicked. "Please wait!"

He noticed that the canine abruptly stopped and slowly turned its gaze to the window.

"Eiji? What are you doing?" Sing asked, confused as he saw Eiji run to the kitchen with a plate of shrimp salad and avocado in his hands.

Eiji opened the door without care of Shorter and Sing yelling at him to come back or Buddy's barks.

Surprisingly, the animal didn't escape. Eiji succeeded to come near the canine without feeling fear. Then, Eiji interlocked his eyes with the animal's and finally realized that her beautiful eyes were green like jade. Also, Eiji noticed that it wasn't a Golden Retriever as he thought she would be. It seemed like a wolf. A rare one to Eiji's judgment.

"Here, you can eat this," Eiji said with a soft voice. The animal was still looking at him. Its eyes were reflecting intrigue. "It's my breakfast leftovers but I guess you don't mind if it's food." Eiji lowered himself and put the plate down. "I hope you will like it."

Eiji, still kneeling in front of the canine, could perfectly see how the animal carefully came towards the food that he has offered and sniffed at it. Eiji immediately glimpsed how the animal's eyes brightened and began to eat.

"You! Picky dog!" Shorter screamed from the distance.

Eiji smiled as he saw the animal devouring the food, making desperate sounds.

"You are starving."

Suddenly, Eiji wanted to confirm his suspicions. He bent down and looked closely for the animal's parts.

Eiji choked at the view.

"It's a male..."

Eiji was a little upset about it. He had imagined Buddy having puppies with the canine if he would have been female.

However, Eiji listened as a snarl came from the wolf. He was astonished when he eyed the grumpy wolf’s face. To Eiji’s mind, the animal had an incredibly expressive face; he showed his emotions perfectly, as if he could understand his environment.

“Sorry! My bad! I didn’t mean to offend you.”

Eiji waved his hand in front of the wolf as a signal of regret. However, the wolf sniffed at the hand and bit it suddenly.

“Oh God! She bit you!! Eiji!” Sing shrieked as he witnessed the scene. He was going to run to Eiji but he was stopped him halfway.

“No, Sing don’t come! You’re going to scare him!” Eiji cocked his head to the house. His hand was still inside the wolf’s mouth. “Besides, he didn’t bite hard.”

“Are you crazy, man? That dog could have rabies!” Shorter shouted.

“No Shorter. He’s only hungry!”

“We lost him, Sing…”

Eiji was stunned as to how the wolf had changed his features from irritable to shocked when he figured out that Eiji didn't fear him.

The wolf spit out Eiji’s hand as he looked at him with an intrigued gaze. Eiji beamed at him.

“I’ve told you before, haven’t I? I won’t hurt you,” Eiji whispered. He noticed those wolf’s green eyes widen. “If you’re still hungry please come into my house. I have more shrimp and avocado.”

The wolf briefly gazed at Sing and Shorter inside the house and Buddy with his tail wagging. The wolf stepped back and his ears pressed close onto his head.

“Don’t worry about them. They’re friends too. They’re just curious about you…” Eiji said softly.

However, the wolf had other plans for Eiji. He sat face-to-face with Eiji and waited for him to bring the food instead.

“You’re really stubborn.” Eiji pouted.

At that moment, Eiji noticed that the wolf was staring cautiously behind him. Sing, Shorter and Buddy approached.

“Woah! That’s not a dog,” Shorter exclaimed as he eyed the canine better. “She looks like a wolf.”

Eiji nodded.

“I thought the same.”

“But it’s not exactly like a wolf. I’ve never seen one with this fur color… and green eyes,” Sing added.

“Perhaps she’s a mixed breed.” Shorter hummed.

“Ahh! No, Shorter. She’s a he… I've already confirmed it,” Eiji said, ashamed.

Shorter gasped as if he was deceived. He and Sing ogled the wolf as he looked at them too, with annoyance.

“What? So we won’t have our own version of the Lady and the Tramp?” Sing’s heart broke. He had been expecting a love story like this between Buddy and the wolf.

“Of course not! Don’t tease Ash with that, you guys…” Eiji said.

“Ash?” Sing and Shorter voiced in unison. Even Buddy and the wolf tensed.

“It's his name! If we’ll be friends, then he has to have one.” Eiji stared at the wolf surprising eyes.

“Yeah but, why Ash?” Shorter didn’t have the heart to tell him it was a stupid name.

Eiji bit his lower lip nervously.

“Originally I was going to name him Ashley…but I got a surprise when I looked down here…”

Eiji giggled as he realized again that Ash was giving him a death glare. He truly understood him. Instead of being terrified, Eiji felt amazed at this unique canine.

Suddenly, Buddy began to bark at Ash fiercely, trying to being intimidating. Eiji was about to scold him when Ash replied to him with lazy growls and his eyes shining with mischief. Even though his fangs hadn't been visible when Ash _talked_ , Buddy tensed at whatever Ash was voicing at him. To everyone’s surprise, Buddy looked sad as he quickly ran back into the house, as if he had lost an argument.

Eiji, Sing, and Shorter stared at the scene, dumbfounded.

"Are you sure you want to adopt him?" Sing asked to Eiji.

* * *

 Ash's visiting Eiji wasn't frequent in the beginning.  However, little by little, Eiji had built a bond with the animal. Every time that Ash scratched his door at evening, Eiji sincerely gave him a smile along with the food that he had cooked for him. He had to decline Shorter's offer of making fancy meals for Ash. For being an animal, Ash had a special taste for food. Ash only accepted Eiji's cuisine. Eiji didn't know the reason yet.

Surprisingly, Eiji noticed that Ash and Buddy had started to be friendlier when communicating with each other later on. Buddy didn't growl at Ash anymore; instead he wagged his tail when he saw him near the house and leaped up to the other canine and began to play. Eiji figured out that Ash enjoyed it too.

Gradually, Ash came to Eiji more often. Now he met him every night and stayed with them for almost four hours until he left. However, Ash never dared to enter the house. Eiji didn't know where Ash went after he left, or if he had an owner. Once, Eiji tried to follow him but it was fruitless. He lost sight of him rapidly.

Sometimes, Shorter and Sing visited Eiji when their time allowed them to do it. With Nadia closer to giving birth, the responsibility of Chang Dai rested on their shoulders.  Ash had started to trust them too.

A week ago, Eiji had told Ash that he wouldn't come at home for a few days because of work. He assured him when came back, he would gladly make his dinner again. Eiji, fearing that Ash and Buddy would starve on those days, asked Sing and Shorter to feed them. They teased Eiji, saying that they'd charge him for the babysitting services when he returned. Eiji just pouted.

Eventually, Eiji came back to his home at midnight. Finally, he had finished his photography project with his boss, Ibe. However, during those days, Eiji hadn’t taken care of himself. He felt his muscles aching because he had overworked and he had been with an untreated headache since two days ago. Also, his nose was so stuffy that he was breathing through his mouth. Eiji touched his warm face and groaned. He didn't feel well.

Even before Eiji could unlock his door, he was received by a low howl. He immediately looked down at Ash who was waiting for him. Buddy's excited face was glued to the window when he noticed Eiji and Ash. He was waiting for them as well.

Eiji forced a smile as he felt his legs numbing.

"Oh, Ash, you're here." Eiji remembered that he had told him he would be back at his house today. "Didn't Shorter and Sing feed you? Don't worry, I'm-"

Before Eiji could finish, his whole body became  numb and his mind clouded. Eiji felt he was going to pass out and the only thing he could hear was Buddy's desperate barks. He was ready to hit the floor until he felt two strong arms embracing him.

A hand rested on Eiji's warm forehead as he was panting. Eiji forced his eyes to open. They were heavier than ever. Slowly, Eiji could lift his eyelids but his vision was blurred. The only thing that he distinguished was a pair of familiar green eyes, gazing at him with concern. However, those precious eyes were on a human face. A blond-haired man that was the most handsome person Eiji had ever seen.

"Ash?" Eiji whispered.

Eiji felt his legs swing upwards and his head was pressed against a firm chest. Someone was carrying him and unlocked his door. His body shivered as the wind blew through them when the door opened. Buddy was barking at them intensely. Eiji could only hear muffled noises through his ears. He was exhausted, trying to pay attention to his surroundings.

Then, Eiji fainted.

"Papa Ash!" Buddy voiced.

The wolf shifted into a human. Buddy knew it all this time. Ash was a werewolf and he could communicate with animals and humans. Ash explained to him one day when Buddy asked why he smelled different than other animals.

"Yes, I know. Where's Eiji room?"

"There!" Buddy pointed at the path with his nose and barked at him to follow.

"We need to call for help. Eiji is very ill. Did you sense it too?"

"I did!" Buddy whimpered.

"It's okay. He just needs rest. Don't think he's going to die, because he isn't."

Buddy protested. When Eiji was carefully laid down onto the bed and his shoes were taken off, Buddy pointed with his paw at Eiji's jean pocket.

"Use this brick!"

"What? Do you want me to call Shorter and Sing via Eiji's cellphone?"

Buddy nodded.

"Yes! You have thumbs!"

"Absolutely not! If I called them, they won't recognize my voice! They don't know me in my human form," Ash protested. "Besides, I'm naked! It's dangerous for me to be moving around out in a crowd, you know that!"  Ash pointed at Buddy with his finger. "What about you? You know where Chang Dai is! You bragged at me that you eat in this restaurant."

"I don't know where it is."

"What?!" Ash shouted. "How don't you know the way!? You're a dog! You can sniff to guide yourself!"

"I'm still a puppy,'" the dog snarled.

"You're not a puppy anymore! Eiji has pampered you too much. Damn! So millennials dogs exist." Ash sighed, disappointed.

"Hey!"

Ash and Buddy heard Eiji groan. They got closer to his bed and noticed that his face was more flushed than before. He had even started to breath with difficulty.

"Damn, he's burning up! How long did he have this fever?" Ash said, his voice shaking as he put a hand on Eiji’s forehead.

Immediately, Buddy was upset.

"Papa Eiji?" Eiji's sweat rolled down his face. "Papa Eiji, please wake up!"

Buddy tensed when he stared at Eiji's state. The dog wept silently at his owner's side.

"Hey, please Buddy, don't cry. He's going to be fine." Ash gently patted Buddy's back. "He's not alone. He has us. Be strong, ok? For Eiji.”  

The dog slowly nodded and, with his paws, hugged Ash.

“I'll figure out what we're going to do." Ash smiled at Buddy.

Ash thought that he shouldn't be too harsh with him.  After all, Buddy was younger than him. He was only just seven-months-old.

* * *

 Eiji was slightly dozing when he felt something heavy between his legs and lap. Slowly, he gained his consciousness and let out a low groan. He shivered as he felt a damp cloth on his forehead. He lazily opened his eyes. Soon, he realized that he was in bed but he wasn't alone. With his blurry vision, he distinguished that his lamp was turned on and it was illuminating his room.

Then, he heard distressed sounds from his lap. He saw Buddy sleeping and crying in his dreams while Ash was licking Buddy's head to comfort him like a canine mother would do with her puppies.

"Eiji!" Sing said, excited. "Shorter, he's awake!"

"Shorter? Sing?" Eiji said with a hoarse voice.

When Ash heard Eiji's voice, he looked at him and made a surprised sound. Immediately, Buddy woke up and barked. Both animals whimpered and jumped up to lick his cheeks. Eiji felt tears forming in his eyes.

Immediately, Shorter was at his side,  next to where Sing was.

"I'm relieved you opened your eyes, Eiji," Shorter said calmly. "Your fever slowed down a bit but if you still feel sick we could get you to the hospital."

Sing caressed Ash's and Buddy's fur as he smiled at Eiji.  The canines stopped licking on Eiji's face but their tails wagged at the same time.

"How?" Eiji whispered. "How did you know that I was sick?"

"We received a call in Chang Dai from a man that found you passed out in front of your door," Sing explained. "He asked us if we knew you, and began to tell us directions to your house."  

"Then we immediately closed the restaurant and ran to your house. Your door was unlocked and you were laying down in your bed but no one else was there other than Buddy and Ash," Shorter added.

"We were surprised when we saw Ash inside." Sing laughed. "I mean, it's the first time he's been inside. He was worried too."

Eiji breathed sharply and cried.

"I don't remember anything..." Eiji lied. He remembered that man’s face but he was confused. He had Ash's expressive eyes. Even his blond hair was like Ash's fur. "I'm sorry... I'm sorry that I made you worry about me."

Eiji gasped as Ash snuggled him with his body and realized that Buddy was already sleeping soundly beside him. The stressful moment that Buddy had gone through knocked him out. Eiji gave Ash a smile with a teary face and, with his weak arms, he embraced Ash and Buddy. He gave both of them a kiss on their heads.

"Please don't do this again." Sing gulped. "We are friends, Eiji. So trust us."

"Sing..." Eiji whispered. "I'm sorry. Even I didn’t know that I was so sick."

Shorter snorted. "Of course you didn’t! You're a workaholic." He pouted.

"Minutes before you woke up, Shorter scolded Ibe through the phone for not noticing your health," Sing whispered into Eiji's ear.

Eiji eyed Sing, dumbfounded.

"By the way, Eiji... you don't have to go to work until you feel better," Shorter informed him. "Ibe will visit you tomorrow."

"By the way, it's 3 A.M." Sing sighed. "Now that you're awake, you have to eat the meal I've prepared for you. Then, you must take your medicine."

Eiji felt himself blush, more than before. Shorter, Sing, Ash, and Buddy were there for him. Eiji realized he was a lucky person. Not even in Japan did he have kind and caring friends like them.

"Thanks," Eiji mumbled as tears fell from his eyes. "Thank you so much."

Shorter and Sing smiled at him. Then, Eiji felt that Ash was cleaning up his tears with his tongue. Eiji eyed the wolf, surprised. The canine's green eyes were so loving as he looked at him. Eiji chuckled and kissed Ash's nose.

* * *

 Eiji's fever diminished after two weeks. He felt rejuvenated. He was ashamed to admit that he had forgotten when he  last he took a break from work. Shorter and Sing took good care of him, and Ash and Buddy were very good company. Ash was even teaching Buddy how to be a dog. Eiji considered it fair because Buddy didn't have another dog to follow or imitate. Buddy had been one-month-old when Eiji found him in a dumpster so he behaved more like a human than a dog.

However, what Eiji was truly thankful for was that Ash never escaped from his house. It was like he chose to stay and established it as his home. Eiji was overjoyed. He had plans to make Ash own collar with his name on it.

Nevertheless, not everything was happy. Ash was still a wolf or a mixed one, and sometimes his animal instincts dominated his senses. Sometimes, at night, Ash went out of the house to hunt. Every time he came back, Ash gave to Eiji a dead chicken from his neighbors. Sometimes Buddy accompanied Ash but he never caught anything. Instead, Buddy gave Eiji dry sticks.

One night, Ash didn't come home from his hunt. Eiji was worried. He called Shorter and Sing to ask if they had seen him. They denied it. At that point, Eiji's heart shattered.

One week had passed and Ash was still missing. Eiji was always anxious about what happened to him. Shorter and Sing helped Eiji to find him, and even Buddy tried to sniff for Ash's odor out of the house. However, Buddy couldn't locate him. Every day and night, Buddy barked outside as if he was calling for Ash. He never received any reply.

The eighth day since Ash was lost, it was raining. Eiji came back to his home from work at 7:30 P.M. Buddy received him at the door and Eiji touched his head.

Eiji was thinking about Ash. He was worried if he had a place to shelter himself. A great storm was coming.

"Ash... what happened to you?" Eiji sighed as he watched the trash can through the window.

He was emerged in his own thoughts of how he came to treasure the wolf so quickly. Even though the wolf was wild, Eiji figured out that Ash had wanted to be a domestic animal; sometimes, it seemed that he wanted to communicate to him with his howls. He wanted a place to call as his _home._  

Eiji bit his lower lip. He didn't lose his hope yet. He'd find Ash.

Then, Buddy's barks resonated throughout the whole living room. The barks were deep and desperate. Buddy ran to the door and started to scratch at it.

Eiji blinked surprised.

"Buddy?"

It was raining harder than before. The raindrops hit the ground strongly.

When Eiji opened the door, Buddy ran quickly through the street without caring if he was going to be drenched.

"Buddy!" Eiji yelled.

The dog barked at him, trying to tell Eiji to follow him. Eiji immediately understood and grabbed his jacket and closed his door.

"Is it Ash? Do you sense him?" Eiji said to Buddy. The dog ran faster than before, and Eiji had struggle to keep up with him

The raindrops trickled into Eiji's eyes but he didn't care. The expectations to finally find Ash were high.

They continued running a few meters from the house, towards an isolated and inhospitable place Eiji had never been in before. Eiji noticed that Buddy moved his ears eagerly. He concluded that there was something that Buddy heard but he didn't. Eiji tried to concentrate on any sound over the rowdy rain.

Then, Eiji heard it. A weak howl.

"Ash!" Eiji screamed so loudly that he felt his throat getting hurt. "Ash!!"

Buddy barked louder and ran again when he heard another soft howl.

Gradually, Eiji saw familiar fur on the ground.

As Eiji walked closer to Ash, his eyes widened and he gasped in horror. Buddy stood rigidly at the injured wolf’s side.

Ash had a long, deep, and fresh cut around his neck that Eiji could see even underneath his bloody fur. He had smaller wounds throughout his body. One of his front paws was broken. The wolf was shivering under the rain but he still tried to look up at Eiji and Buddy. However, he was too tired to do it. There’s a puddle under Ash's body, turned a dark red because of his blood and mud.

"Ash!" Eiji's voice cracked. "Who did this to you?"

Ash replied with a faint whine. Immediately, Eiji's eyes watered and he stood rigid in front of Ash. Then he whimpered as he shook his head. Ash didn't need pity. He needed help. As Eiji carefully lifted Ash with his arms, his own breath stopped for a second. The wolf was so thin that he could feel his bones.

Ash groaned.

"I'm sorry, Ash. I know it hurts. Hang on a little..." Eiji said gently. "You're safe now. I have you."

Eiji walked slowly to his house with the fear that he could hurt Ash more if he made hectic steps. Buddy followed them from behind.

When they entered the house, Eiji immediately put Ash on his bed without caring if it got dirty from the blood and water.

Buddy’s vet didn’t do home visits, so without wasting time, Eiji searched on Google for another vet. Eiji tried to calm himself as he listened to Ash's low cries from his room. Buddy was with him anyway, trying to calm him and licking his head like Ash did when he comforted him that time Eiji got a terrible fever.

Eventually, Eiji found a vet located in Cape Cod, near his house. He read on his screen **"** Exotic animal veterinarian, Dr. Blanca." Eiji gasped as he noticed that the Doctor had home service.

As Eiji began to call him, he could hear the soft sounds that Ash and Buddy were making. It seemed they were communicating to each other. Eiji stopped paying attention to them when someone finally picked up.

Inside Eiji's room, Ash stared at Buddy.

"Buddy, you used your senses to find me." Ash sighed. "I'm proud."

The other animal stopped licking Ash's head. Buddy stared at him sadly.

"You taught me how to use them," Buddy whispered. "Also, I can sniff other humans' smell on your fur." He closed his eyes. "The smell of _bad people_." Buddy's face hardened.

Ash breathed through his mouth.

"They want...Ash the wolf..."

Buddy's head lowered.

"Then, why are you still in your werewolf form? You can be a human!"

Ash chuckled and he felt his body hurt as he did.

"It's not easy as you think..."

"But you have Papa Eiji!"

"I can't..." Ash said. "It's not fair to him. Besides, I would frighten him and he won't accept me."

"No! He loves you!" Buddy explained.

"As a pet."

"No! It's a different kind of love! I think he knows you're a human! I hear him wondering to himself about the Yokais!"

"Don't get too excited."

Buddy wagged his tail.

"And I know you love him!" Buddy saw Ash’s astonishment. "But not as an animal to his owner. It's like a romantic love. I know this from how you look at each other!"

"Buddy..." Ash whispered. "It's impossible... I'm a werewolf. Eiji won't fall in love with me,"

However Buddy continue speaking.

"If you could live as a human then I will have two humans Papas!" Buddy said, excited. "And we could spend time with Uncle Sing and Uncle Shorter! And we could visit Nadia's puppy when she'll born! We could be a big family!"

Ash noticed Buddy's eyes had watered.

"If you do that, the _bad people_ won't hurt you anymore. You will be happy living with Papa Eiji and me. Don't worry about transforming into your human form in front of Papa Eiji! I swear he won't freak out. He'll accept you and fall in love with you because you love him and he loves you back..."

Buddy started to cry. He cried for Ash. Buddy had a terrible past before Eiji took him. He also was abused by _bad people_ He had told to Ash that when he had almost one month of life, he got sick. Instead of visiting a veterinarian, his mama's owners dumped him inside of a dumpster. He stayed there for two days and no one heard his cries until Eiji found him.  

Ash’s body was aching, but he still managed a smile for Buddy.

"Thank you, Buddy," Ash whispered as he closed his eyes. "I wish that your dream comes true."

"It will!" Buddy yelled. "I promise!"

Ash was drifted into sleep. He didn't know how long he was asleep; he didn't even notice he had closed his eyes until he felt a hand on his fur. He opened his eyes and saw Eiji's gentle gaze. Buddy was barking.

Eiji was on his knees, caressing Ash. He was extremely careful of not pressing too hard on his cuts. Eiji tried to hide his dread as he noticed some wounds were infected.

Ash eyed Eiji lovingly. Eiji sighed from his nose as he leaned in to kiss Ash forehead.

"Ash, the vet and his assistant are here to heal you," Eiji whispered.

The wolf immediately sat up without caring about the throbbing pain all over his body. He was on alert. He spotted two strangers in the room.

"Ash? Calm down. They are not going to hurt you," Eiji said softly.

Ash howled.

Eiji turned his head to look at them. They were whispering to each other.

"Dr. Blanca, are you sure you want to treat that animal?" Eiji blinked as he heard the muffled sounds. "He looks like he is going to die anyway."

Buddy barked at them.

"Papa Ash won't die!"

Blanca, with a stoic gaze, studied the wolf's shuddering body. Then, he looked pitifully at Eiji, whose face was an open book in that moment. He was begging for them to save the wolf.

"Nonsense. Did you see the look in his eyes, Yut Lung?" Blanca chuckled. "He wants to live."

Ash gazed at them with ferocity. They smelled strange for being mere humans. They were weres. Also, they knew that Ash was one as well because of the odd looks that they gave to him. Eiji was unaware about the tension between the weres, but he felt uneasy that the vet wasn't doing anything yet.

"Um, is something wrong, Dr. Blanca?" Eiji craned his neck up to better see the vet. He was huge.

Blanca blinked at Eiji. Then he beamed at him.

"Oh! No, nothing is wrong Mr. Okumura," Blanca said. "I was beheld by this particular wolf that you have in your bed.

Yut Lung frowned.

"Then he's a wolf, after all." Eiji gazed at Ash.

Blanca gave to Eiji a stern look as he walked to him. Yut lung followed him.

Eiji gulped. Suddenly, he felt chills run down his back. They had a strong presence and their eyes were directly piercing him. Ash groaned at them and his fur bristled. Buddy was paralyzed from fear.

The environment changed drastically.

"Indeed, he's a rare breed of wolf," Yut Lung said boldly. "Of course, he gives you an opposite idea of what he is."

"He gives me...?" Eiji questioned. They were too close to him. Eiji noticed that Ash trembled. He wasn't sure if it was from fear or anger. "Is that matters now? He needs medical attention. _Now_." Eiji firmly voiced the last word.

"Yes! Please! Do something," Buddy barked at them.

Even though Eiji could only hear barks, the rest of the people inside the room were able to understand Buddy, but he was completely ignored.

However, Blanca's features changed at the demanding voice of Eiji. He noticed an unusual connection   between the Japanese man and the wolf. Their eyes locked together as the wolf started to relax his tense body. It was  subtle, but it was enough for Blanca to confirm his suspicions.

"Of course I will," Blanca said softly. "It would be terrible on my part if I let him die."

"Dr. Blanca..." Yut Lung whispered.

"First, we have to sedate him," Blanca informed them as he was taking out his medical supplies.

Eiji made an anxious sound.

"Sure," Eiji said as he embraced Ash in his arms, carefully to not hurt him more. Eiji hid Ash's head in his chest as he watched the syringe needle suck a liquid from a vial. He was calm despite the presence of the other weres or the pain of his injuries. Ash snuggled further into Eiji.

"And what are you supposed to be doing?" Eiji heard the assistant's voice. It sounds irritated to Eiji's ears. "He's not a domestic animal. It would be dangerous if you hold him like that."

Buddy was offended.

"Papa Ash would never hurt papa Eiji." He was ignored again. "Hey! Are you listening to me?"

"I agree with Yut Lung," Blanca added. "He's an injured wild animal. We can't be certain of his reaction when we start to heal him. Your safety is a priority too, Mr. Okumura."

Eiji lowered his gaze as he nodded. He was about to part Ash from his arms when the wolf, realizing what Eiji's actions meant, leaned further into him and made a protesting sound.

"Ash, it's okay... I'm just going out for a few minutes—"

Blanca interrupted him.

"Actually, after curing his wounds, we’ll have to take the wolf away from you."

Eiji gasped. He hugged Ash tightly.

"What?"

"No! He stays with us!" Buddy groaned.

"Isn't it obvious? It's dangerous for someone like you to be with this beast," Yut Lung informed him with a serious tone.

Eiji looked at them, incredulous.

"But I've interacted with him for almost two months... He didn't do anything to me."

"And you're waiting for something bad to happen?" Yut Lung’s eyebrows rose.

Eiji bit his lower lip. Ash eyed them over Eiji's chest. He sensed that Eiji was getting anxious.

"Of course, you could stay if he _changes_ ," Blanca said.

Ash tensed. They were testing him.

"What? What do you mean?" Eiji asked.

Buddy dashed through them. He halted to faced Ash and Eiji.

"Please do it, papa Ash!" Buddy pleaded. "It's your opportunity!"

Ash's eyes hardened.

"I refuse," Ash told him weakly. "It's better this way. Eiji won't be in danger anymore."

"He was never in danger! You deserve to stay with us!" Buddy looked up to Blanca and Yut Lung. "Papa Eiji knows it! He has an idea about weres! Please stop pressuring my papas! Papa Ash is suffering!"

"Then, it's not a problem Dr. Blanca's solitude." Yut Lung hissed.

Eiji was confused. The fuss that had started in his room were animal sounds. He was still surprised that Dr. Blanca's assistant replied to Buddy with a snake sound. Buddy was making a scandal and Dr. Blanca just listened to them with a blank face, as if he understood them.

"Enough," Eiji said sharply. Then, the room went quiet. "I’ve had enough." He patted Ash's head. "You are a weird veterinarian." He said as he watched Blanca.

Yut Lung gasped.

"How dare you—"

"Yut Lung." Blanca stopped him. "Let him talk."

Eiji frowned.

"I'm not sure what your deal is, but if you're not going to do anything, please get out of my house."

"I'm afraid that isn't an option, Mr. Okumura," Blanca said. Eiji's eyes widened. "We cannot afford to miss this opportunity now that we know about him. Even if I have to bring him with me by force."

Buddy immediately groaned at them. His body trembled with anger.

"Damn you..." Ash snarled at Blanca.

Eiji blinked. Again, the canines replied to Blanca with animal sounds.

"Ash," Eiji said softly. The wolf became less agitated from hearing Eiji's mild voice. "Ash, please do what he asked. Change." Eiji tried to seek Ash's gaze. "I don't know what it means but you do, don't you?" Ash connected with Eiji's eyes shyly. "Also, I know you can understand me; I've known it since the first day we met. However, now I think I know the reasons."

Ash was breathless for a moment. Eiji gave him a reassuring smile.

"Do you?" Blanca asked.

"Yes," Eiji whispered without looking away from the wolf. "Ash... I remember that you caught me the day when I had a fever and wanted to enter in my house but I couldn't."

Ash's sore muscles contracted and he was unable to breathe property. Eiji's statement was sufficient to convince himself it was alright to take a risk. To show him who he really is.

"I told you!" Buddy said, excited.

Ash hummed. He recognized when he was defeated. He noticed that Blanca was amused and Yut Lung was irritated.

"Bastards," Ash said to them. He leaned on Eiji's shoulder and closed his eyes. "Please don't be afraid," he begged Eiji. Ash knew it was useless to talk to him because he couldn't understand him.

Suddenly, Eiji noticed that he couldn't feel  Ash’s fur against his skin anymore. Eiji contemplated how Ash was able to shift from wolf to human. The transformation was brief; it only took not more than a few seconds.

But from Eiji's point of view, Ash's transformation was in slow motion. He was mesmerized by how his fur faded out from his body and only remained above his head, revealing a slim and tall white man. Ash didn't face him at all. Eiji only could hear his pants as if all his energy was drained by turning into a human.

Ash truly _changed_ but his horrible wounds were still there. Now, without his fur, Eiji could see more bruises than he remembered. Ash was completely damaged. His ribs were visible and one of his wrists was twisted and swollen.

Then, Ash slowly lifted his head and looked at Eiji with exhausted eyes. He couldn't find fear in Eiji's eyes. Ash trembled at this. On the other hand, Eiji finally saw Ash's gorgeous face again. When he noticed Ash's uneasiness, Eiji pressed his forehead against Ash's as they both closed their eyes.

Buddy was quiet, contemplating the scene.

"How cruel." Yut Lung gasped as he looked at Ash's weak body.  

"Yut Lung," Blanca called him. "It's time to act."

They proceeded to evaluate the werewolf’s wounds first. Then, Blanca injected the analgesic into Ash.

"Please, little boy, can you please leave this room?" Blanca said to Buddy. "What will happen shortly will not be suitable for a child to see." He gave him a sad smile.

Eiji couldn't hide his surprise. Blanca was also a were. He had made bear's sounds.   

Buddy was going to protest but Ash stopped him before he even could.

"Buddy." Ash howled. "Please..."

Eiji gazed at Ash curiously as he noticed that Buddy nodded and left the room, crestfallen. Eiji didn't say anything.

"Okay then." Blanca was on his knees. He carefully grabbed Ash's fractured hand. "I'm going to put his wrist back in place. This will hurt; be ready," Blanca said. Ash bit his lip, closed his eyes and held his breath. Eiji clutched him firmly and had to be extra careful not to crush him.

"Yut Lung, help me here," Blanca asked.

Suddenly, the room was filled with the sound of Ash's bone popping back into place. Ash cried out as he shed some tears. With his free hand he strongly gripped Eiji's shirt.

Eiji winced at the distress of the blond.

"It's okay... He's done," Eiji whispered desperately into his ear.

They could hear Buddy whimpering outside.

Ash was shivering. He felt so overwhelmed from his pain that his body turned numb and he passed out.

* * *

 Ash flinched as a throbbing pain ran up his spine. He didn't open his eyes right away because he didn't sense Eiji's smell or Blanca and his assistant inside the chamber. However Ash smelled other odors: they replaced the dirty bed sheets with a clean ones and Buddy was close to him. He was covered with a thick bedding.

Also, he sniffed the analgesics that had been applied over his already bandaged injured flesh. Ash even felt a sling around his arm.

Ash could hear voices in the living room. It was Eiji talking with the other weres.

"This is all we can do for him," Blanca said. "Now his recovering depends on him."

"Dr. Blanca, before you go... I have to ask you..." Eiji gathered his thoughts before he spoke. "Why did you insist on Ash's shifting? I still don't understand."

Blanca chuckled at Eiji.

"When you had called me about an animal and you weren't certain of its kind, I was suspicious of it being a were," Blanca said. "And indeed, I was right. However, my doubts were redirected towards you."

"Me?" Eiji asked.

Yut Lung listened to Blanca attentively.

"The way you and the werewolf look at each other. I believed you knew what he is but you didn't want to risk sending him to a hospital in his human form and having to give an explanation of what happened. You wouldn’t have that concern if you call for a veterinarian."

Eiji was amazed.

"Wait... The way me and Ash look at each other? What do you mean?"

Yut Lung gasped.

"For God's sake! You're unaware of it?" Yut Lung lifted an eyebrow. "You didn't plan anything at all, did you?"

Before Eiji could answer, Blanca continued.

"Nevertheless, I, as a were and veterinarian, must not have to risk a were's integrity. I tested how much you knew about his secret and how comfortable he was being around you," Blanca said. "It's too dangerous being near a wounded were when they're in their animal form. They get blinded by their instincts. Especially if the were is wild."

"Wild?"

"You have to ask him," Blanca smirked. "That's why I asked him to shift if he wanted and, if not, I was going to rescue him from you...a human. However, he got angry at me when I did that. In the end, he chose to trust you."

Yut Lung sighed. Eiji was still confused but he believed he comprehended some parts.

Blanca opened the door. He gazed at Eiji before he and Yut Lung left. Outside, it was drizzling.

"Tomorrow, at this hour, I'll come to disinfect him and change his bandages." Blanca smiled. "When he's lucid enough, I'm going to ask him to work for me."

"What?" Yut Lung and Eiji yelled in unison, but Yut Lung's yell was louder.

Blanca laughed.

"A werewolf would be a perfect addition to our team, right, Yut Lung?" he said. "Besides, Yut Lung and I can't understand canines very well, so having one with us would be to our advantage."

"You can’t?" Eiji asked.

"A snake and a grizzly bear examining distressed dogs? They're able to sniff something odd about us," Yut Lung cleared up.

Eiji gaped. If he recalled well, Ash and Buddy weren't on good terms when they first met. Eiji wasn't sure if Ash would be a calming presence  to the other dogs.

Blanca only smiled at Eiji's skeptical face.

"Well then." Blanca stepped outside. "Farewell, Mr. Okumura."

The rain began to soak their clothes when they went out. Suddenly, Eiji stopped them.

"Wait! Dr. Blanca... about the payment..."

Blanca stopped. Yut Lung turned to stare at him.

"Consider my services free as thanks."

"Eh?"

Blanca serenely looked at Eiji.

"For looking after a were..." Blanca whispered. "For saving one of us..."

Eiji was speechless. Blanca resumed to walk.

Eiji silently entered his room. He spotted Ash's immobilized body on his bed. Buddy was sleeping next to him. He approached Ash so he could better look at his features. His face was calm, even though his skin had an unhealthy, pale color and he had eyebags.

Eiji was about to leave his room so as not to disturb them when he felt a tug on his shirt. He turned around. He didn't expect to see Ash gripping tightly at his shirt with his good hand.

"Eiji..." Ash said. Eiji's eyes widened when he realized it was the first time he heard Ash's human voice. It was deep but also hoarse because of his tiredness. "Stay..."

Eiji clenched his teeth. Right now, Ash was in his most vulnerable state: injured, defenseless, and naked. Ash's eyes reflected fear. He was begging for Eiji’s presence, like a child scared and seeking his mother.

"Okay," Eiji whispered. He noticed that Ash was surprised by his answer.

Eiji lied down over his bedding and faced Ash. Their eyes connected immediately.

"Why...?" Ash questioned. "Are you not afraid of me?"

Eiji's heart ached. He couldn’t describe it with words right away, but Ash's voice sounded brittle. It concerned him. It was as if he was doubtful that someone was truly accompanying him so he would not have to bear his pain alone. Eiji wondered what kind of life Ash had.

Buddy had awakened when he heard Ash's voice quiver with terror. The dog remained silent.

Eiji exhaled before his lips curved up.

"Never," Eiji spoke softly. "Since the day I saw you, I've never been afraid. I was confused... but never afraid."

Ash was totally bewildered by Eiji's confession.

"But...I was a wolf. Didn't my shape-shifting frighten you?"

"No." Eiji shook his head. He lifted his hand to trace the curve of Ash's cheek. The blond-haired man blushed. "I don't fear you whether you're in your human or wolf form... it's your warm eyes that I look at." Eiji's eyes shined. "You're Ash... the werewolf. But also my friend. What that I feel is happiness... to know the truth about you."

Ash's eyes watered. Silent tears fell from his eyes as his jaw trembled and his face flushed. Eiji gave him a soft smile as he wiped his tears away with his thumbs.

"Eiji..."  Ash hiccuped a sob. "I... How could I—"

"Shh... breathe. Slowly." Eiji calmed him. He caressed Ash's face.

Ash breath was raggedy. With his unhurt hand, he gently grabbed one of Eiji's hands and slowly licked his palm. Eiji quickly comprehended that what Ash was doing was because of his animal instinct, like a way to tell him that he was alright now.

Eiji beamed at him.

"Ash, you need to rest so you can recover faster."

Ash nodded. He stared at Eiji intensely. Suddenly, Ash trembled and felt his eyes burning again.

Eiji fought not to burst into tears as well. He rubbed his face against Ash's wet cheek.

"I'm not going anywhere..." He and Ash gazed at each other. "Neither are you."

Ash's breath stuttered when he tried to take a deep breath. He rested his forehead on the curve of Eiji's neck.

"I was afraid of not coming back again..." Ash mumbled with sadness.

Finally, Eiji couldn't handle it anymore and let his emotions go. He tasted his salty tears on his lips.

"It's okay, Ash. You're not in that place anymore with the people who hurt you." Eiji embraced Ash delicately. "What matters is that you're here with me and Buddy. Alive."

"Eiji..."  Ash's body shivered and it hurt him.

They cried together. They consoled themselves until their tears dried. Their eyes felt heavy and they ached from weeping too much.

Then, Ash was staring the ceiling. He and Eiji were still hugging.

“Eiji... I have to tell you something," Ash said softly in Eiji’s hear. Eiji hummed. “It’s something that you need to know, about what I am… about what happened to me." Ash felt a lump in his throat.

"You don't have to if you don't feel comfortable."

Ash shook his head.

“No, no. You deserve to know.” Ash sighed as he unfolded his arms from Eiji and eyed him. “You deserve to know the truth about me.”

Eiji tried to dismiss his concern away from his face. Again, he caressed Ash's cheekbone.

“It’s okay...you can tell me,” Eiji said. “Only if you promise me that if it's gets too much for you, you'll stop.”

Ash was touched by his words. His features softened while he leaned into Eiji's hand.

“I promise.” Ash stared at Eiji. Suddenly Ash was emerging himself into his own memories. “In my world, there exists two different lifestyles: the weres that choose to coexist with humans, like the veterinarian, and the ones who prefer that their animal instincts rule them. I was raised by one of the latter one, in a small pack of six wolves in North California, together with my big brother, Griffin.”

Eiji opened his arms when he noticed that Ash curled in on himself against his chest. Ash relaxed as Eiji embosomed him again.

“We lived in a protected area so we didn't have to worry about  intruders.” Ash burrowed his face into Eiji's neck. “But one day, when I was eleven-years-old, some hunters blew up the place. Even today I can't understand how they could have entered… but they had one objective: it was to hunt us.” Eiji’s eyes widened. “It seemed that there was a rumor about a weird wolf pack whose fur was unique… that you could be a billionaire if you trade with it. They didn't know about werewolves.”

Eiji felt that Ash was shaking.

“I remember my brother saying to me to run and not turn back.” Eiji gulped. “And I did it. I shifted into a human and ran. The other wolves didn't change because they feared that the secret about werewolves would be in danger and if they had to die, it would be in the form they had preferred. Besides, it would give me time to escape because I was the only child in the group.” Ash sobbed. “In the end, only I survived.”

“Ash…” Eiji whispered. He listened to the blond man weeping. “You can stop…”

Ash clutched Eiji's shirt.

“No… I want to continue. I'm not sure if I'll be able to tell you this again,” Ash confessed.

Eiji processed what he was told. Still aching because of Ash's sorrow, he nodded.

“Okay,” Eiji whispered. “I'm here with you. I'm listening. Unburden yourself.”

Ash sniffed before continuing.

“I remained in my human form for at least for a year. Somehow, I arrived in New York city… and I lived like a street child. I was scared to go back to my wolf form, I thought that the hunters would come back for me; I thought that if I was in my human side, other humans would help me, like weres and some animals do when they find an orphan kid. However, no one wanted to take me. Humans ignored me completely; some humiliated me and tried to harm me.”

Eiji looked down to see Ash's face damp with his own tears. Eiji sighed as thought he had to stay strong for Ash. He kissed Ash's forehead. The other man breathed with difficulty, trying to calm himself.

“I guessed I expected too much of humans. They were selfish and loved to hurt others, no matter if it's an animal or another human. I concluded that humans were abhorrent. So, one day, I decided to transform into a wolf again and go and seek for a forest… so I could live like a lone wolf.”

Eiji’s lips trembled as his eyes watered. He couldn't imagine how lonely Ash was in those days. Desperate and forsaken just like himself when he lived in Japan. Eiji didn't know he was crying until Ash wiped at his tears tenderly.

“Ash… I'm sorry…” Eiji mumbled. “I'm sorry that you had to go through all this. I—”

Ash put a finger on Eiji's lips. “Shh… don't apologise,” Ash said as he smiled at Eiji. “Right now I'm going to tell you my favorite part. I promise you it's happier.”

“Really?”

“Yeah…” Ash said. “It's when I met you.”

Eiji’s eyes widened as the unshed tears fell down his face freely.

“But—”

“Shh… silence. The tale isn't finished yet.” Ash grinned. Eiji closed his mouth. “Good.”

Eiji was glad that he had been on his bed all that time because he felt his knees weakening for the adoring smiles Ash was giving to him. He had a charming smile.

“Originally, I didn’t plan to staying in Cape Cod. Until I smelled something delicious… something that reminded me of my pack when we were near the river.” Ash eyed Eiji lovingly. “It came from your house… the smell of seafood. The shrimp… I was so hungry.”

“It was the day you were roaming in my trash!”

“Exactly.” Ash blushed. “When you talked to me that day, I have to admit it was the first time that a human spoke to me so sweetly.”

Eiji gasped.

“Seriously?”

Ash nodded. “I was frightened.”

“Oh. Sorry.”

Ash cuddle further into Eiji. Because of the friction between his injured flesh and the sheets, he grimaced.

“The reason I came back again was because I was so curious about you. Buddy tried to intimate me but to me, he was just a kid trying to threaten me.” Ash chuckled. “Since the beginning you weren't afraid of me… in my wolf form.”

“No, I wasn't,” Eiji whispered.

“Without noticing it, I came to your house every night because every time I saw you, it warmed my soul.” Ash paused for a moment. “I felt secured. I felt like someone cared about me, even if I was in my wolf shape.”

“Ash…” Eiji's voice was ragged. He was surprised.

“Gradually, I started to accept my human side but I was scared to reveal my secret to you or Shorter and Sing. So I decided to stay in my wolf form and never switch. It was enough for me if you and the others could accept me in that way.”

Eiji’s heart ached.

“However, that day when you were sick and almost fainted in your front yard, I changed without thinking.” Ash eyed Eiji, disconcerted. Then Ash tore apart his gaze from Eiji. “After calling Shorter and Sing on your phone, I looked at myself in your bathroom mirror.” Ash closed his eyes. “The last time I turned into a human was when I was a child, when I decided to live as a wolf forever, but then what I saw in the mirror’s reflection was a man.” Ash’s body trembled. “I didn't recognize myself.”

“Ash…” Eiji kissed Ash’s scalp.

The blond man wept bitterly.

“It's was the first time I wondered how many years I roamed without a direction… to find somewhere I could live in peace. But it was alright, because I’d already found you.”

Eiji inhaled softly.

“So then, you stayed here…”

Ash let his tears fall freely.

“Exactly.” Ash beamed. “Those days where the happiest that I ever had.”

Eiji clenched his teeth. He cupped Ash's face with his both hands.

“Ash...” Eiji gasped. “Oh my God, Ash… I also was happy to have you in my house! I was sickly worried when you didn't come back! What happened to you?! You suddenly disappeared!”

Ash hunched. And tried to hide his fear.

“I was hunting in a place that was far from your house. I was so concentrated to get you something nice that I didn't realized that I fell in a bear trap…” Ash whispered.

“A bear trap?! Here in Cape Cod?!” Eiji shouted. He was incredulous.

Then, he looked at Ash's injured hand and wrist. Eiji gently touched it with his fingertips. Ash looked at Eiji with devoted eyes.

“They came after I was trapped,” Ash said, barely above a whisper. “They said I had beautiful fur. They kicked me until I fainted. I awakened in a truck alone with some dead animals… I had a rope that was hanging me up...they thought I was dead… I tried to move but I couldn't! My body ached… I-I didn't know where I was! I couldn't breathe! I tried to take the rope off me but it was tight! I—”

“Ash!” Eiji slapped Ash’s cheeks.

Ash froze instantly and tears escaped from his eyes, followed by disturbing sobs. He felt like he was going to vomit soon.

“Eiji… I-I’m sorry… I” Ash stuttered between his bawling.

“Stop,” Eiji said softly but firmly as his lips shuddered. “Enough… you've to stop. You're not there anymore.”

Ash encouraged himself as he repeated Eiji's last words. He tried to inhale and exhale to be calm again.

As soon as he was breathing normally again, Ash bumped into Eiji's chest.

“Thank you,” Ash whispered with a tired voice. Eiji rubbed Ash's back that was damp with his sweat.

Eiji nodded as he held back his tears. He needed to be calm for Ash. He needed to be strong for him. He didn't push him to continue.

However, Ash began to speak when his whimpers subsided so Eiji listened carefully.

“When I noticed the position I was in… I shifted into my human form and the rope loosened from my neck… Without caring about my wounds, I jumped out of the truck in motion, and ran as fast as I could.” Ash sighed. “It took me a week to come back to Cape Cod.”

Eiji stopped breathing for a moment.

“Then, you came back here?”

Ash separated a little from Eiji’s embrace and saw him with restless eyes.

“Yes… it took me more time than I expected,” Ash whispered as he leaned against Eiji's chest again. “I'm sorry.”

Eiji tightened his grip on Ash’s body as he was making sure he was comfortable.

"Please don't… it's not your fault.” Eiji whimpered. “Thanks for trusting me with this.”

Ash tried to keep his eyes open but he couldn't handle his tiredness invading his senses. He was concentrated on smelling Eiji's scent that rapidly calmed his nerves.

“No, Eiji… thanks for trusting me first.”

Eiji chuckled as he planted a kiss on Ash's forehead.

“Welcome home, Ash," Eiji whispered.

The black-haired man slightly felt through his shirt that Ash's lips were curving upwards.

"I'm home," Ash said.

Ash and Eiji heard each other’s heartbeats until they fell asleep, embracing each other.

Buddy quietly witnessed Ash and Eiji’s  interactions. He jumped off from the bed and started to roam through the house. His senses were sharp that night and he paid extra attention to the house's gates and windows.

"Papa Ash, don't worry. I'm on guard tonight," Buddy said as he listened closely to the noise from the front door. "I won't let the _bad people_ drag you away from us again. I promise."

Buddy didn't sleep that evening.

* * *

 Eiji felt a callused hand stroke his cheek. It felt nice.

Eiji's eyes slowly opened when he felt a thumb wander to his lips.

"Ash?" Eiji said softly as he stared at Ash's astonishment face.

"Sorry. I thought you were sleeping." Ash felt ashamed. "Now rest. It's still early."

Eiji frowned. Some sun rays were passing through the curtains.

"I'm fine," Eiji whispered. He looked Ash lovingly. "What about you?"

Ash grimaced.

"Everything hurts! Even my hair hurts me..."

Eiji's face was drained.

"Seriously?! Your hair? Where?" Eiji tried to touch Ash's scalp.

Ash blinked.

"Eh, no. I was just kidding there."

"Oh!" Eiji expressed. Then he pouted. "Oh."

Ash grinned. "Hey, don't look at me like that."

"Just look at yourself!  You look miserable and I’m worried!" Eiji tried to sound angry. It wasn't working because Ash laughed.

"Nah! I feel relieved right now."

Eiji was dumbfounded from those whispered words. He smiled gently at Ash and immediately noticed the blond-haired man blushed.

"I'm glad." Eiji combed through Ash's soft and fluffy hair with his fingers. "Seriously though, are you still in pain? I could bring you the painkillers that Dr. Blanca left."

"I don't trust anything that brute has touched." Ash's gaze was sulky. However he leaned into Eiji's hand. "Besides, why the hell does he have a weresnake as an assistant veterinarian?! Their hands are always cold and that scares the other animals! I wouldn't be surprised if he doesn't have patients!"

Eiji smirked. He was about to tell Ash that Blanca and Yut Lung were going to check his wounds that night, and possibly Blanca might tell him about his offer for Ash to work with them, but Eiji shut his mouth. It would be a well-deserved punishment for Ash for behaving like a jerk.

Then Eiji snapped out of what he was thinking. He and Ash had been acting as if they knew each other very well. However, the reality was totally opposite. Ash, the human, was a complete mystery to him and yet Eiji felt he was familiar. It was a odd sensation for Eiji because now that he was aware of the two sides of Ash, it helped him to understand better the werewolf and his previous interactions when he was a wolf.

"Papa Ash! You're awake!" Buddy barked happily when he noticed that Ash was more energized as he entered the room, exhausted. He leaped onto the bed, careful of Ash. The dog huddled on Eiji. "Are you alright?"

"I'm better than yesterday," Ash growled back. "Thanks. You don't have to worry now."

Buddy nodded. He couldn't stop a whimper as he looked up to Eiji.

"Did you see, papa Eiji? Papa Ash is fine!" Buddy's eyes shined. "Thank you! Thanks for not giving up on him."

Ash gasped. Suddenly, he felt the need to cry again. Instead, he gave Buddy a sad smile.

Eiji gazed at them, perplexed.

"What did Buddy say?"

"Pardon?" Ash said.

"You and him talked...didn’t you? With animal sounds," Eiji said. "Like how you communicated with Dr. Blanca and his assistance previously."

Ash shrugged.

"Buddy asked me how I had been... he was worried." He blushed.

The dog wagged his tail.

"Papa Ash! Tell papa Eiji that I love him! I always have wanted to say that to him but it seems he doesn't understand me."

Ash chuckled.

"Buddy said he loves you."

"Really? He told you that?!" Eiji was amazed.

"He literally sees you as a god, to be honest." Ash beamed. "Buddy is truly grateful to you for giving him a second chance to live."

Eiji gasped as he looked at Buddy. The dog barked at him and he licked Eiji's face. Eiji began to laugh to suppress his tears of happiness.

"Oh my god! Buddy! I love you! I love you too!" Eiji embraced Buddy. "Someone threw you away like garbage but for me, you're my treasure! You know that? Do you understand me?"

Ash closed his eyes. His smile never vanished. When Ash started to come regularly to Eiji's house, Buddy said to him that the Japanese man was the best human he had ever met. In the beginning, Ash didn't believe him but he had realized that he had been so wrong.

"He can. Every single word," Ash whispered.

Buddy leaped up to Eiji so suddenly that almost they fell off the bed.

The dog started to whimper as he continued to lick him.

"Papa! Papa!"

Eiji giggled.

"Then I have my official translator to speak with Buddy!" Eiji said to Ash, excited.

"Me?" Ash asked, incredulous.

Eiji snorted.

"Of course you. Who else?"

Ash couldn't hide his amazement. Eiji said yesterday that this was his home. Again, Buddy was right when he stated that Eiji would accept him for who he was. Those words felt like a revelation to Ash. It frightened him. Eiji still wanted him to stay.

Ash, as much he could, hugged Eiji and Buddy with one arm. The environment was soothing and Ash felt his muscles relax.

Their peace didn't last long though, because suddenly, Ash startled.

"Ash?" Eiji noticed that Ash was staring him with wide, concerned eyes. The blond-haired man still was hugging them. "What's wrong?"

“Someone is coming.”

“What—?”

Before Eiji could say something, the door creaked open. Shorter and Sing entered the room quietly.

“Eiji, Ibe called us to check your home before going to work because you didn't respond his calls—” Sing flinched as he saw Eiji laying down, cuddling with another half-naked man on his bed. Sing was stiff like a rock.

“Oh my god!!!” Shorter yelled as he saw the scene too.

Shorter and Sing ignored the fact that Ash was bandaged. They could only focus on the fact that he was a stranger.

Eiji felt himself getting flustered.

“It's not what you think!” he mumbled. Ash and Buddy were shocked.

Sing grabbed Shorter’s sleeve and tried to pulled him away from the room.

“S-Shorter! They need their privacy!” Sing closed his eyes tightly and his face was like a tomato.

Shorter laughed louder. He couldn't believe what he was seeing.

“I knew it! I knew that Eiji was gay!!” Shorter was amused. “Sing!! You were the coward!!  I've told you!”

Somehow, Sing dragged Shorter out of the room.

“I'm so sorry, Eiji!” Sing shouted as he slammed the door.

Ash, Eiji and Buddy stayed speechless for a few minutes.

“Are you gay?” Ash dared to ask.

Eiji felt his face get even warmer.

“Isn't it obvious?” Eiji murmured as he looked away.

Unexpectedly, Eiji felt a small peck on his red cheek. His eyes widened as he realized that Ash had kissed him softly. Unconsciously, Eiji touched were Ash placed his lips on his skin.

Ash was smiling tenderly at him.

“And you…?” Eiji whispered.

Ash chuckled as he leaned into Eiji and snuggled against his nose.

“Oh Eiji.” Ash breathed as he closed his eyes. “I'm so gay for you.”

First, Eiji gasped at Ash. Then he joined Ash with his giggles.

“Are you going to tell them you are a werewolf?” Eiji said as he cuddled with Ash again.

Ash sighed as he kissed Eiji's temple.

“Eventually….” Ash said. “But just let me enjoy this moment.”

Eiji hummed. Their hands intertwined.

Buddy was eyeing them with thrill. Now he had two humans papas.

 

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! Here's my [Twitter](https://twitter.com/MakikoYarn) and my [Tumblr](https://was-dft.tumblr.com/) if you want to talk to me!


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